Whispers of the Past: Finding Historic Homesteads Along the New River

The New River is best known for its ancient geology and winding waters — but step off the riverbank into the shaded woods of New River State Park, and you’ll find that the trees aren’t the only things with stories to tell. Tucked among rhododendron and laurel, half-swallowed by moss and ferns, are quiet reminders of the families who shaped this stretch of the Appalachian foothills: fallen stone chimneys, foundation stones, an old barn you can walk straight through, and a Methodist camp’s lasting imprint on 270 acres of riverside land.

These traces of the past are exactly that — traces. While the Stump Family Homestead along the River Run Trail does feature some informational plaques, most of the structures along these trails stand without formal interpretation. They’re simply there, where they’ve always been, with the forest growing back up around them. Walking the trails feels like discovering a place where nature and human history have reached a quiet agreement, where the river keeps flowing past chimneys that have outlived the families they once warmed.

As you visit these traces of the past, please follow Leave No Trace guidelines: take only photos, and leave every artifact where you find it — so these stories can be shared with the visitors who come after you.

Below are the trails where we’ve found remnants of historic structures, either on the path itself or just off to the side. Before we begin, we’ve also compiled some additional resources about New River State Park you might find useful. Happy adventuring!

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Additional Resources

The Ultimate Guide to Every Hiking Trail at New River State Park

Where the Water Is: The Best River-View Trails at New River State Park

Beyond the Riverbanks: Conquering the Riverbend Backcountry Trail

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Table of Contents

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Elk Shoals Access

The Elk Shoals Access carries the most layered history of any spot in New River State Park. The 270-acre property was originally established as a Methodist Church camp in the late 1800s and operated as Camp Elk Shoals from around 1958 until 2018, when maintenance challenges led to the camp’s sale. That same year, the New River Conservancy stepped in with a $2.5 million purchase and donated the land to the state park — preserving both the riverbank and the lived-in remnants of the camp’s decades along the New River.

The Elk Shoals Access is the most upstream access of New River State Park and is still being developed under North Carolina State Park standards, so several of the paths here aren’t yet on the official park map.

Location: 349 Methodist Camp Road, West Jefferson, NC 28694

Elk Shoals Trail

The Elk Shoals Trail passes several structures that tell the story of the property’s Methodist Camp era. The first you’ll come across is an open-air meeting area set just off the trail with a view of the New River — a quiet remnant of the camp’s communal life. A bit farther on, you’ll find a historic homestead dwelling that likely dates back to the late 1800s or early 1900s, before the property was formally established as a Methodist retreat.

Mission Trail

The Mission Trail — reachable by first hiking a portion of the Elk Shoals Trail and then branching off where the paved road begins climbing the ridge — carries even more of the Methodist Camp’s story. You’ll find old cabins set among the trees and the still-standing Greg and Jane Howard Memorial Chapel near the top of the ridge, giving this stretch of the property a quietly contemplative feel.

These camp-era landmarks aren’t preserved as formal historic sites — they’re simply part of the landscape you walk through. That quiet, lived-in character is part of what makes the Mission Trail feel so different from other paths in the park.

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U.S. 221 Access

Location: 358 New River State Park Rd, Laurel Springs, NC 28644

River Run Trail

The most fully told homestead story in the park lies along the River Run Trail, near the parking-lot end of the loop, close to the river. The Stump Family Homestead was built in 1937 by brothers Quay and Lester Stump, who lived off the land along this stretch of the New River for decades — enduring repeated floods, the realities of subsistence farming, and the slow rhythm of life along an ancient river.

A fire destroyed the home in 1956, ending the family’s time on the property. Today, three pieces of the Stump Homestead remain visible along the trail: the stone chimney, the spring house, and the cellar. They stand where they always have, half-claimed by the forest, with informational plaques bringing the family’s story to life for visitors.

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Wagoner Access

Location: 1477 Wagoner Access Rd, Jefferson, NC 28640

Bluebird Spur

Just off the Bluebird Spur stands an old stone chimney — quietly remarkable for what isn’t there anymore. The home it once belonged to stood close to the banks of the New River and has long since disappeared, but the chimney remains as a marker of the family who built their lives along this stretch of the corridor. The chimney is one of those discoveries that turns a short, easy walk into something genuinely meaningful — and it’s an especially nice find for anyone walking the loop with kids in tow.

Riverbend Backcountry Trail

The 3.5-mile one-way Riverbend Backcountry Trail is a real workout — but what makes it worth the climb is the variety of what you see along the way. Toward the deeper section of the trail, hikers pass the remains of an old barn that you can walk straight through — a striking, weathered piece of the New River corridor’s farming past that has somehow stayed standing long enough for the trail to take advantage of it. Of all the historic structures we’ve found along the river, this one might be our favorite.

For a deeper look at our experience on this trail, take a look at our companion blog post: Beyond the Riverbanks: Conquering the Riverbend Backcountry Trail.

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Final Thoughts

The historic structures along the New River are a quiet reminder that this corner of the Appalachian foothills has been home to people for centuries, long before the dam fight of the 1960s and 1970s made the river a protected place. Walking these trails, with the chimneys and foundations and that lone walk-through barn rising out of the woods, is a chance to feel a fuller version of the story behind the river you’re walking beside.

Pack water, sturdy hiking shoes, and a camera — but more than that, pack a willingness to slow down and notice. The New River will keep flowing long after we’re gone, and the chimneys will probably still be standing, too. Whispers of the past, just waiting to be heard.

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